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THE SHEPHERD KING 



The Shepherd King 



ADNA WRIGHT LEONARD, D. D. 

Author of " The Roman Catholic Church at the Fountainhead.' 




Cttttumalt: 

Jennings and Graham 



Eaton and Mains 



13 






COPYRIGHT 1911, 
BY JENNINGS AND GRAHAM. 



©CU21t5251 



^ 



5t::> 



TO 

My Father, 

corresponding secretary of the board of foreign 

missions of the methodist episcopal church, 

the inspiration of whose noble life 

has been one of the greatest 

human helps of my ministry. 



FOEEWOED 

These sermons are published at the sug- 
gestion of friends in Churches formerly 
served by the author, and also upon the re- 
quest of the Official Board of First Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, Seattle, Washing- 
ton. 

They are presented to the public in the 
present form with no small degree of hesi- 
tancy, but with an earnest prayer that the 
printed words may retain something, at 
least, of the blessed influence they exerted 
at the time they were spoken. 



CONTENTS 



PAGK 

Foreword, 7 

I. The Man- David — Au" Appeal for 

MAiq^HOOD, .... 15 

"Jehovah hath sought a man after his 
own heart." — 1 Samuel 13:14. 

II. The Eealization of a Mission; or, 

Is Life Worth Living? . 37 

** Anoint him ; for this is he." — 1 Samuel 
16:12. 

" He will deliver me out of the hand of 
the Philistine."—! Samuel 17:37. 

III. David and His Friend, Jonathan; 

or, The Worth of Fidelity, 61 

" And it came to pass when he had made 
an end of speaking unto Saul, that 
the soul of Jonathan was knit with 
the soul of David, and Jonathan loved 
him as his own soul." — 1 Samuel 18 :1. 

9 



CONTENTS 

IV. Dayid's Great Sin; or, The Treach- 
ery OF Conscience, . . 83 
"Nathan said to David, Thou art the 
man/'— 2 Samuel 12: 7. 

V. The Prodigal's Highway Back to 

Pardon, 109 

** And J David said unto Nathan, I have 
sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan 
said unto David, Jehovah also hath 
put away thy sin; thou shalt not 
die."— 2 Samnel 12:12. 

VI. A Heart-Broken Parent, . . 123 
"And the king said unto the Cushite, Is 
it well with the young man Absalom? 
And the Cushite answered, The ene- 
mies of my Lord the king, and all 
that rise up against thee to do thee 
hurt, be as that young man is. And 
the king was much moved, and went 
up to the chamber over the gate, and 
wept ; and as he went, thus he said, 
O my son Absalom, my son, my son 
Absalom ! would I had died for thee, 
O Absalom, my son, my son!" — 2 
Samuel 18:32, 33. 

VII. The Soul's Deepest Cry, . . 139 
"What is man, that thou art mindful of 
him? 
And the son of man, that thou visitest 
him? 

10 



CONTENTS 

For thou hast made him but little 

lower than God, 
And crownest him with glory and 

honor. 
Thou makest him to have dominion 

over the works of thy hands ; 
Thou hast put all things under his 

feet."— Psa. 8:4-6. 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God ; 
And renew a right spirit within me." 
—Psa. 51:10. 



11 



THE MAN DAVID— AN APPEAL FOR 
MANHOOD 



^^ Jehovah hath sought him a man after 
His own heart. '^—1 Samuel. 13: 14. 



THE MAN DAVID— AN APPEAL FOE 
MANHOOD 

No NICHE in the *^Hall of Fame'' is big 
enough for David — Israel's Shepherd- 
King. In the splendid variety of his 
achievements his equal is not to be found. 
He is not a single star, but a constellation 
as compared with the other men of fame. 
He was shepherd, poet, singer, soldier, em- 
pire-builder, and religious leader. 

David comes upon the scene of history 
for the first time at a sacrificial feast at 
Bethlehem, over which the prophet Samuel 
presided, and to which Jesse and his family 
were invited. At such a time and upon 
such an occasion no member of the family 
was supposed to be absent. The prophet 
Samuel appeared with almost startling 
15 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

suddenness, driving before him a heifer, 
and having in his hand a horn filled with 
anointing oil. Assuring the family of Jesse 
and the elders of the town that he had 
come to sacrifice, the august visitor pro- 
ceeded with the ceremony. The sacrifice 
finished, the party was waiting to begin 
the feast. The sign for the feasting to be- 
gin was at the time of the pouring forth of 
the sacred oil. The sons of Jesse were 
made to pass before the prophet, beginning 
with the eldest, but the hand of Samuel 
was restrained by a divine control. The 
day was gone for man-chosen rulers. 

Jesse was then asked by the prophet, 
^^Are these all thy children!'' And he 
said, ^* There remaineth yet the youngest, 
and behold, he is keeping the sheep. ' ' And 
Samuel said unto Jesse, ^^Send and fetch 
him, for we will not sit down till he come 
hither." And he sent and brought him in. 

Now, he was ruddy and withal of a beau- 
16 



THE MAN DAVID 

tiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. 
And Jehovah said, ^' Arise, anoint him, for 
this is he. " (1 Samuel 16 : 11, 12.) 

Bethlehem, his birthplace, then as now, 
reaches down to the edge of the desert that 
borders the Dead Sea. Near by was the 
'^ Tower of Shepherds," and five miles to 
the south Tekoa, the birthplace of the 
prophet, herdsman, and huckster, Amos. 

Centuries later * * there were shepherds in 
the same country abiding in the field and 
keeping watch by night over their flock." 

A lad better fitted for a shepherd's life 
can not be imagined. He was agile, of 
great strength, and in his hands the sling 
was a deadly weapon, for he understood its 
use perfectly. His countenance fair and 
features regular; his auburn hair almost 
touching his shoulders; his shepherd's bag 
hung carelessly about his neck ; his staff in 
his hand ; his sling dangling at his side, and 
his rude harp on which he played as the 
2 17 



THE SHEPHERD KIXG 

sliadoTvs of the evening deepened into the 
darkness of night made him altogether an 
ideal model for an artist. 

In David's day the forests of Sonthem 
Palestine had not been cleared away, ^ild 
animals were nnmerons in the heights of 
Lebanon and in the thickets of the Jordan. 
It was a part of the shepherd's life to pro- 
tect the flocks against the incursions of wild 
beasts and to see to it that they were safely 
herded in time of stortn. 

It was on the hiUs and plains of Bethle- 
hem that Israel's shepherd-king spent his 
early life, watching over and caring for his 
father's sheep. In the shepherd period of 
life he was also in God's school, and was 
unconsciously being prepared to serve 
man's deepest interests to the end of time. 
In the iDresence of the mountain he was 
reverent, and in the thunder of the tempest 
he heard God's voice. Xature was to him 
an open book which later inspired the song : 
18 



THE MAN DAVID 

' * The heavens declare the glory of God ; 
and the firmament showeth His handiwork. 

Day unto day nttereth speech, and night 
nnto night showeth knowledge. 

There is no speech nor language where 
their voice is not heard. " 

To follow his career from the sheepfold 
to the throne is to behold the shepherd boy 
become poet, singer, warrior, and king. 

David was not, however, the emhodiment 
of perfection, and in studying his character 
care must be taken not to excuse his faults 
while idealizing his virtues. It is not fair 
to judge him before the bar of modern 
Christian ethics, nor is it just to apologize 
for his heinous sins. 

David's life is an appeal for courageous 
manhood. It was only the courage of the 
shepherds that could protect the flocks 

from the depredations of wild beasts. 

« 

When the pits failed to catch them, the 

shepherds of the whole neighborhood 

19 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

formed a line on the Mils and joined in 
loud shouts to keep them o:ff. A single 
shepherd would sometimes pursue a ma- 
rauder, and with the aid of his strong staff 
rescue the imperiled lamb or entire flock. 
This rendered the life of a shepherd a dan- 
gerous one, but very naturally developed 
a courageous spirit and strength. 

I love to think of David as being pos- 
sessed not only by a courageous spirit, but 
also by a real love and pity for the help- 
less little creatures committed to his care. 
He knew how absolutely dependent they 
were upon him. They looked to him for 
protection by day and by night. I have 
seen delicate bluebells in the Alps nestling 
securely under ledges of overhanging rock. 
Their frailty and simple beauty suggested 
confidence in the massive mountain as their 
protector from every storm. So David was 
the protector of the helpless flock, keeping 
the enemy at bay and throughout the long 
20 



THE MAN DAVID 

dry season leading them into green pas- 
tures and beside still waters. What he was 
to the sheep, Jehovah was to himself, and 
from his own grateful heart he cried, * * The 
Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. ' ' 

David's courage is further seen in his 
contest with the Philistine giant. 

On the frontier hills of Judea, with only 
a narrow ravine separating them, were the 
armies of the Philistines and the Israelites, 
drawn up in battle array. 

Saul is the king of the hosts of Israel 
and commands the army in which are Da- 
vid's three older brothers. David's father 
sends him to his brothers with some bread, 
parched corn, and milk-cheese, and as he 
approaches the camp he hears the Philis- 
tine giant call out a challenge for the for- 
tieth time to the hosts of Israel, and it 
stirs his patriotic spirit mightily. Just as 
on the hillside he was quick to leap to the 
defense of the imperiled sheep, so now does 
21 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

he offer to engage in combat with the con- 
ceited champion in the defense of his conn- 
try. His timid brothers nrge him not to 
go. There are always interrupting voices 
when a man is in the line of duty. But 
with the consent of Saul he prepares to 
meet the giant in deadly combat. 

The scene is romantic, sublime, tragic. 
There stands the giant depending upon his 
man-made armor and his animal strength. 
David comes forward in shepherd's dress, 
with only a few stones in his shepherd's 
bag and with no other weapon but his sling, 
but trusting in the power of Jehovah. One 
stone is sufficient. The army of Philistines 
is scattered, and the sword and head of the 
champion, gruesome trophies, are brought 
to the camp of Saul. 

David had formed the habit of courage 
while attending the flocks of his father on 
the plains and hills of Bethlehem. 

A recent writer has emphasized the fact 
22 



THE MAN DAVID 

that courage is very largely the result of 
habit. Courage is not the result of phys- 
ical strength alone, but rather the result of 
moral and spiritual training. Without a 
strong will true courage can not be de- 
veloped. 

It is said that Henry IV was naturally 
afraid in danger, and that when he first 
went into battle at the siege of Cahors, his 
body shook with fear. Then he was heard 
to say: ^^Vile carcass! thou tremblest! 
But thou wouldst tremble ten times more 
if thou knewest where I am going to take 
thee.'' 

After making that statement it is said 
he rushed forward twenty yards ahead of 
his men and his ax was the first to strike 
the gates. 

The type of courage which David de- 
veloped as a shepherd was the very thing 
Israel needed in a crisal hour. 

Courage is a moral force. Stafford 
23 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

Brooke has said, ^^Lift the soul above the 
body; it is the secret of courage.'' It is 
not upon the bloody battlefields alone that 
the finest type of courage is to be found, 
but in man's moral and spiritual crises, 
when out of sheer sense of duty, or love 
of truth, or devotion to principle, or con- 
secration to Almighty God man does the 
right thing, regardless of what may be the 
consequences. 

The world loves and admires the man 
who is impelled to courageous action he- 
cause of love, pity, and the sense of duty. 
In these three is embraced the highest type 
of courage. 

This was David's impelling motive, 
whether in the defense of his flock or of 
his country. The courage that springs 
from love, pity, and the sense of duty will 
grip the heart of any man. 

Dr. Kane, the Arctic explorer, drew 
forth the applause of the world, uncon- 
24 



THE MAN DAVID 

sciously, during one of his explorations in 
searcli of the North Pole. 

Setting out on one of his sledges he one 
day saw against the horizon a streak of 
gray. He felt sure that it indicated the 
open sea, and was filled with joy; but as 
he was preparing to push on he was called 
away to see two of his sick and dying com- 
rades. He left all the prospects of dis- 
covery behind, hurried to the sick men's 
relief, and was greeted by them with the 
words, ' ^ Doctor, we knew you would come 
to us." 

Dr. E. J. Campbell of London once had 
a friend who related to him his experience 
of his own childhood. He said: 

^^I can remember when my mother cried 
when she cut the bread for our breakfast, 
keeping none back for herself, for it was 
the last crust that she was dividing. I, the 
eldest-born, inquired the reason why this 
was done. It has kept me straight in the 
25 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

world ever since -ander terrible temptation. 
She said, ' My lad, your father has been dis- 
missed from his situation because he would 
not lie, and we have come to the last loaf ; 
but I am proud of your father, and you 
must grow up like him, too.' And," said 
the friend, ^^I have tried to do it. The 
example of that great sacrifice is before 
me, that solemn and sad morning when it 
seemed as if we had come to the last, and 
God let us go through and remained silent. 
But it was not the last. Somehow I felt 
that morning as if I stood higher, I was 
so proud of my father's manhood, and to- 
day, as I look back and remember that we 
did come through many a hardship, it is 
true, but we have come through, I would 
not barter our faith, our quietness of 
heart, the mutual love and respect of our 
home circle for all that the world could 
give, if we had to leave those things out- 
side." 

26 



THE MAN DAVID 

The same kind of manhood is upon the 
throne of the universe, for it went there by 
the cross of Calvary. Such courage has 
for its foundation love, pity, and a high 
sense of duty. 

Martin Luther was a man of courage. 
When the final judgment of the Eoman 
Catholic Church had been pronounced on 
him in the ban, the papal legate, Alean- 
dro, was obliged to acquiesce in the desire 
of the Diet to summon him under a safe 
conduct to Worms. 

Luther quietly awaited the result, occu- 
pied with polemics against Emser and the 
Dominican Ambrosius Catharinus, and 
with work on a postilla. Entering Worms 
on April 16th, he was brought before the 
Diet on the following day and asked sim- 
ply whether he acknowledged his writings, 
which were laid before him and read by 
title, and whether he retracted their con- 
tents or persisted in them, all debate on 
27 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

the truth of their statements being ex- 
cluded by the emperor's agreement with 
Aleandro. 

Luther requested a day for considera- 
tion, and on the evening of April 18th re- 
plied to the question of Johann von Eck, 
the official of the elector of Treves, who 
asked whether he defended all his writings 
or would retract them. He would retract 
nothing, but demanded that he be refuted 
by arguments from the Bible. His demand 
was met by referring him to the decisions 
of the Church, particularly at the Council 
of Constance, on similar heresies. The de- 
bate that followed was one of the stormiest 
ever known in the councils of that Church, 
but adjournment had not been reached be- 
fore Luther declared: ^'Unless I shall be 
convinced by the testimonies of the Scrip- 
tures or by clear reason, I neither can 
nor will make any retraction, since it is 
neither safe nor honorable to act against 
28 



THE MAN DAVID 

conscience; I can nanght else! Here I 
stand! God help me!'' 

No finer ilhistration of moral courage 
can be found anywhere. 

Savonarola knew the meaning of such 
courage — John Wesley knew the meaning 
of such courage^ — St. Paul knew the mean- 
ing of such courage — Jesus Christ knew it 
above all others. All such courage has as 
its foundation a high sense of duty. 

No less courage either in quality or 
quantity is required for spiritual crises in 
the life of the individual, 

"When as a young man William McKin- 
ley, then a student in Poland Seminary, 
stood before the student body and with 
bowed head, but still looking every one in 
the face, said ; ^ ^ I am determined to be a 
Christian. I believe that God is the great- 
est and best being of the universe, and I 
am determined to love and serve Him. I 
believe religion is the best thing in all the 
29 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

world, and I am going to seek it with all 
my heart until I find it/' — it was an ex- 
hibition of the highest type of courage. 

A few years ago I was preaching in one 
of the largest churches in the Middle West, 
and at the conclusion of the sermon I asked 
if there was any one in the audience who, 
acknowledging himself to be a sinner, would 
seek Jesus Christ as his divine Savior from 
sin. Scarcely had the words been spoken, 
when a young man about thirty years of 
age arose and said, ^^I am a sinner, but 
God knows I want to be saved.'' To ac- 
knowledge one's self as a sinner, to stand 
alone for some great principle, to hold the 
soul above the body, requires a courage 
sublime. 

Perhaps the greatest factor in the de- 
velopment of David's courage was his im- 
plicit trust in God. In that faith he at- 
tacked the lion, in that faith he faced the 
Philistine champion, in that faith he re- 
30 



THE MAN DAVID 

organized the army and bronght the scat- 
tered tribes together as a united people, 
and in that faith he established his king- 
dom and ruled it. He never gave up until 
his enemy was dead, or so thoroughly con- 
quered as to make a complete surrender. 

In the battle against the adversary of 
the soul, how foolish to give up the strug- 
gle before the victory is won! 

In one of his addresses Mr. Drummond 
told the story of a certain Indian officer 
who lived in a bungalow in India, and 
this bungalow was on the top of a mound. 
One season the whole country was in- 
undated with a flood; water was every- 
where; but there was just a speck of 
land which was left, and it was the 
mound with the official bungalow upon 
it. And upon this mound was gathered to- 
gether a motley crowd of natives, some 
wild beasts, insects and birds, all having 
gone there for safety. And after awhile, 
31 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

to tlie consternation of the company, they 
observed a large, fine Bengal tiger swim- 
ming to the mound. It reached it, clam- 
bered np on the bank, and lay down close 
to the edge in fear and qnietness. It lay 
like a dog, and did not know what to do. 
What caused the tiger to be so quiet? It 
was the expulsive power of a new emotion. 
It was Fear. The fierceness and wild na- 
ture were gone, and it lay perfectly still 
because it was afraid. But the officer knew 
that shortly that fear would pass away, 
and the fierceness would return; so he 
took his gun and walked close up to the 
tiger and put the muzzle into the tiger's 
ear and shot; and the great beast rolled 
over dead. 

It was not cruelty to kill the beast, it 
was the height of wisdom. With the pass- 
ing away of the emotion occasioned by the 
flood the old nature would return. 

Then Mr. Drummond asks pointedly: 
32 



THE MAN DAVID 

''What would you and I not give, I would 
like to know, to shoot dead in us the tiger? 
I ask you to shoot. Shoot it dead/' 

To shoot dead in us the beast of sin, to 
renounce sin, to accept Christ, with all 
that that may mean, to cultivate courage 
that has as its essential elements love, pity, 
and a high sense of duty, is to make of 
us men, concerning whom it may be said, 
''The Lord hath sought Him a man after 
His own heart." 

God gives us men. A time like this de- 
mands 

Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and 
ready hands; 

Men whom the lust of office does not kill; 

Men whom the spoils of office can not buy ; 

Men who possess opinions and a will; 

Men who have honor — ^men who will not 
lie; 

Men who can stand before a demagogue 

And damn his treacherous flatteries with- 
out winking! 
3 33 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the 
fog 

In public duty and in private thinking; 

For while the rabble, with their thumb- 
worn creeds 

Their large professions, and their little 
deeds 

Mingle in selfish strife, lo ! Freedom weeps, 

Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice 
sleeps ! 



34 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION; 
OE, IS LIFE WORTH LIVING? 



^^ Anoint him; for this is he.'' — 1 Sam- 
uel 16 : 12. 

^^Ee will deliver me out of the hand of 
the Philistine." — 1 Samuel 17: 37. 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION; 
OR, IS LIFE WORTH LIVING? 

The first words of the first portion of 
Scripture read as a text are Jehovah's ap- 
proval of David for a special work. The 
other words are those of David, in which 
there is a recognition of God in his life, 
which is the key to the understanding of 
his character. 

David's consciousness of God's presence 
in his life is no less definite than the words 
of divine approval. It is in what he says 
of himself as well as in what is said about 
him that we must concede that David be- 
lieved unqualifiedly that Jehovah had for 
him a special mission in life. 

In the simple, though sometimes hazard- 
ous duties of his shepherd-life he kept his 
flocks as a charge from God. 
37 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

In the anointing of David by the aged 
prophet was made clear for all time that 
' ' man looketh on the outward appearance, 
but Jehovah looketh on the heart.'' 

The mooted question, whether or not 
David returned from the consecration to 
the sheepfold with any clear idea that he 
would some time be the successor to the 
throne, we need not here discuss. Per- 
sonally I believe that with the anointing 
he began to dream of empire. It was the 
dream of his country, and just how he re- 
lated himself to it at this time may not 
be definitely stated, yet there was un- 
doubtedly in his inner consciousness the 
belief that he was to be an important fac- 
tor in bringing that age-long dream to the 
fullest realization. 

Like Abraham, the shepherd lad had 

heard a prophetic voice and had felt the 

touch of an anointing hand, and ever upon 

the hillside pastures of Bethlehem there 

38 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

sounded in his ear the deep refrain, ^ * God 
has a mission for me, a mission for me." 

David's mission lay along the pathway 
of service. 

During his reign as king the contending 
political parties in Israel were united, he 
being the first to bring the different tribes 
together as one nation and to make them 
feel that they were one people. In order 
to strengthen this union he captured Jeru- 
salem and made it the capital city of the 
kingdom. He organized a standing army, 
systematized the government, and made 
possible an established religion which had 
much to do with the steadfastness and the 
unity of Israel. By him Israel was lifted 
out of her tribal condition into a strongly 
organized kingdom. 

John Lord in one of his brilliant para- 
graphs says: 

'^When we pass from David's personal 
character to the services he rendered, 
39 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

how exalted his record ! He laid the foun- 
dation of the prosperity of his nation. 
Where wonld have been the glories of Solo- 
mon but for the genius and deeds of Da- 
vid! But more than any material great- 
ness are the imperishable lyrics he be- 
queathed to all ages and nations, in which 
are unfolded the varied experiences of a 
good man in his warfare with the world, 
the flesh, and the devil,— those priceless ut- 
terances which portray every passion that 
can move the human soul. He has left 
bare to the contemplation of all ages all 
that a lofty soul can suffer or enjoy, all 
that can be learned from folly and sin, all 
that can stimulate religious life, all that 
can console in sorrow and affliction. These 
experiences and aspirations he has em- 
bodied in lyric poetry, on the whole the 
most exquisite in the Hebrew language, 
creating a new world of religious thought 
and feeling, and furnishing the foundation 
40 



THE EEALIZATION OF A MISSION 

for Christian psalmody, to be sung from 
age to age throughout the world. His 
kingdom passed away, but his Psalms re- 
main, — a realm which no civilization can 
afford to lose." 

God has a mission for every one. Not 
a mission for the doing of such great deeds 
as David performed, but just as truly a 
God-given mission. There is work which 
will never be accomplished unless you and 
I do it, for God has so ordained that that 
is the work He has for you and for me 
to do. The fulfilment of our life-mission 
depends wholly upon our service. He who 
is unwilling to serve God and the best in- 
terests of his fellow-men will sooner or 
later discover that his life is largely a 
mass of attempted tasks — a heap of jan- 
gling, rugged ends. 

**To serve the present age, 

My calling to fulfil, — 
! may it all my powers engage 
To do my Master's will.*' 
41 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

We shall find out what mission there is 
for us if, like David, we recognize God in 
our life. 

The service which we shall be called 
upon to perform in the fulfilment of our 
mission may lead us into the doing of that 
which to us may seem unimportant, if in- 
deed it be not trivial. So many people es- 
timate the greatness of things according 
to size or weight. Bigness does not neces- 
sarily mean greatness. The important 
little tasks, if well done, are all making 
for the final perfection of things. Untold 
numbers of people, who are working out 
life's little day in obscure and unheard-of 
places, are just as truly doing God's will 
in the fulfilment of their life-mission as 
they are who, with equal diligence, serve 
in the limelight of the world's greater 
tasks. Many a saint of God has, by his 
very suffering and the spirit in which he 
has borne it, served the interests of the 
42 



THE EEALIZATION OF A MISSION 

Kingdom far more largely and definitely 
than many in the more prominent and pub- 
lic places of earth. 

Many of life's tasks seem indefinite and 
almost invisible, and for that reason men 
decline to labor where they might render 
the maximum of service and thus fill a great 
place in life. One wiser than David once 
said, * ' He that would be great among you, 
let him become your servant. ' ' Sometimes 
what seems a small service has in proper 
relations very large results, and in that 
sense is very great. Not all the great 
achievements of the world are labeled with 
the workman's name. God's plan for us 
may be to work out our mission in some 
inconspicuous place ; but there is this that 
comforts us, that prominence and the eye 
of the public are not essential to its ful- 
filment. 

When the Milan Cathedral, next to St. 
Peter's at Eome and the cathedral at 
43 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

Seville the largest edifice of its kind in 
Europe, was finished, in the vast throngs 
of people assembled to witness the dedica- 
tion was a little girl, who was heard to cry 
ont in childish glee, as she pointed to the 
great building, ^^I helped to build that!'' 
*'What!'' said one of the brilliantly uni- 
formed guards. ^ ^ Show me what you did. ' ' 
*^I carried the dinner-pail for my father 
while he worked up yonder." Her part 
was a humble one, but she helped to com- 
plete the architect's plans. 

Our part in life may seem small, but it 
should bulk large in our thought when we 
remember that it is helping to complete 
the plan of the Divine Architect. 

A recent writer tells how, over in Scot- 
land, many years ago, a faithful minister 
coming early to the church met one of the 
deacons, whose face wore a very resolute 
but distressed expression. *'I came early 
to meet you,'' he said. *^I have some- 
44 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

thing on my conscience to say to you. Pas- 
tor, there must be something radically 
wrong in your preaching and work; there 
has been but one person added to the 
Church in a whole year, and he is only a 
boy/' ^^I feel it all,'' he said; ^'I feel it 
all; but God knows I have tried to do my 
duty, and I can trust Him for the results. ' ' 
^*Yes, yes," said the deacon; **but by their 
fruits ye shall know them, and one mem- 
ber, and he, too, only a boy, seems to me 
rather a slight evidence of true faith and 
zeal. I do n't want to be hard; but I have 
this matter on my conscience, and I have 
done my duty in speaking plainly." 

^^True," said the old man, *^but charity 
suffereth long and is kind, beareth all 
things, hopeth all things — ay, there you 
have it, ^hopeth all things.' I have great 
hopes of that one boy — Robert. Some 
seeds that we sow bear fruit late, but that 
fruit is generally the most precious of all. ' ' 
45 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

The old minister went to the pulpit that 
day with a grieved and heavy heart. He 
closed his discourse with dimmed and tear- 
ful eyes. He wished that his work was 
done forever and that he was at rest 
among the graves under the trees in the 
churchyard. He lingered in the church 
after the rest were gone. He wished to 
be alone. The place was sacred and very 
dear to him. It had been his spiritual 
home from youth. Before this altar he 
had prayed over the dead forms of a by- 
gone generation, and had welcomed the 
children of a new generation; and here, 
yet here, he had been told that his work 
was no longer blessed and owned. 

No one remained. No one? '^Only a 
boy." The boy was Eobert Moffat. He 
watched the trembling old man. His soul 
was filled with loving sympathy. He went 
to him and laid his hand on his black 
gown. *^Well, Eobert," said the minister. 
46 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

**I)o you think if I were willing to work 
hard for an education I could ever become 
a preacher! A preacher? Perhaps a mis- 
sionary I" There was a long pause. Tears 
filled the eyes of the old minister. At 
length he said, *^This heals the ache in 
my heart, Robert. I see the divine hand 
now. May God bless you, my boy. Yes, 
I think you will become a preacher." 

Some years ago there returned from 
Africa an aged missionary. His name 
was spoken with reverence. When he went 
into an assembly the people rose. When 
he spoke in public there was deep silence. 
Princes stood uncovered before him, no- 
bles invited him to their homes. He had 
added a province to the Church of Christ 
on earth, had brought under the gospePs 
influence the most savage of African chiefs, 
had given the translated Bible to strange 
tribes, had enriched with valuable knowl- 
edge the Royal Geographical Society, and 
47 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

had honored the humble place of his birth, 
the Scottish Church, the United Kingdom, 
and the universal missionary cause. That 
missionary was Eobert Moffat! 

It is our high and glorious duty to dis- 
cover what God's mission for us is. When 
the discovery is made, life presents a dif- 
ferent face to us. We see things in utterly 
new relations. This makes life worth liv- 
ing. To stand at the threshold of human- 
ity, to see its gates not only ajar, but flung 
wide open, to behold the vast moving 
crowd within, and to become conscious of 
the fact that among them all we are 'Ho 
live and move and have our being" is in- 
centive enough for any life. 

Now, he who finds that there is some 
special work for him to do will in all prob- 
ability discover that before he enters upon 
that work God will impose a period of 
waiting. 

Two of the most important times in the 
48 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

life of any young man are when he is 
trying to discover what his mission in life 
is, and when he has found that out, to 
wait long enough for thorough prepara- 
tion. David returned from the anointing 
to the sheepfold to await his time. It was 
a period, I have no doubt, of preparation 
for his greater life-work. The record tells 
us that even Jesus Christ had to pass 
through a period of waiting, for He re- 
turned from the temple to Nazareth and 
was ^^ subject unto His parents.'' 

To know what your mission in life is, 
and to engage in its fulfilment unpre- 
pared, is little short of tragedy. The 
world is full of people whose lives are 
failures because they would not submit to 
the limitations imposed by the waiting 
period. I recall so well my own experi- 
ence in this matter. Called of God to 
preach the gospel when in my late teens, 
I could scarcely wait until my preparatory 
4 49 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

school days were over. So eager was I 
to enter upon the great and glorious work 
of preaching the gospel of the Son of God 
that I wanted to leap beyond the period 
of four college years, take a two or three 
years' theological course, and become an 
ordained minister. The wise and timely 
advice of my godly parents prevented me 
from pursuing such a course, and as now 
I look back to those days of collegiate 
work and joy, I regard them as being in 
many respects the most important of my 
preparation period. Then I chafed under 
the restrictions, for I did not fully appre- 
ciate their importance; but I see it differ- 
ently now. "We must be content with the 
period of waiting which the Almighty sees 
fit to impose upon us. 

To become conscious of the fact that God 
has a mission for us is to hallow the com- 
monplace things of life. 

Montaigne said, ^^ External occasions 
50 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

take both flavor and color from the inward 
constitution. ' ' 

Whatever be the character of our mis- 
sion — preacher, teacher, lawyer, soldier, 
mother, guardian, sufferer, nurse, mer- 
chant, mechanic, laborer — it makes little 
difference what the character of our work 
may be; when we are conscious that it is 
what God wants us to do, it will enliven the 
everlasting routine, it will make attractive 
the perpetual grind, it will give zest to 
our efforts while we peg away at the old 
task. In other words, it will make life 
worth the living. It will hallow the com- 
monplace. 

Every life has its commonplace. Da- 
vid's life was full of it. It is a mistake 
to think that those who have achieved 
greatness know nothing of the common- 
place in life. Some have more than others, 
but every one has experienced it. Even 
those who have nothing to do but spend 
51 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

money and travel grow weary of the rou- 
tine of their life. They become so weary 
of travel that even the glories of the Alps 
awake in them no response. 

A recent writer tells of a tourist who 
was a guest at a Swiss hotel where he 
was stopping. An expedition was being 
planned, and the tourist, listening, ex- 
claimed, ^^I suppose it is just the same 
there as here : a lot of mountains and that 
kind of thing." In his weary, humdrum 
life even the Alps lost their grandeur. He 
had no mission. 

We do not cease to dream when we have 
discovered our mission in life, but we go 
forward with faith in Almighty God to 
bring those dreams to realization. Noth- 
ing in life will be commonplace if we can 
bring ourselves to this. 

But the consciousness that God has for 
us a mission in life will give us steadying 
power. We may not know just where our 
52 



THE EEALIZATION OF A MISSION 

life-work will take us, we may not be able 
to see the end of the path, bnt ^*we know 
that all things work together for good," 
and we remain at the task. 

The Apostle Paul said, *^I must see 
Eome. ' ' Nothing could have held Paul to 
his task but the deep and abiding con- 
sciousness that he had a mission in life. 
Such a view of life may make a man se- 
rious, but it will not lessen his joy. Nor 
will God permit anything to interfere with 
the fulfilment of the mission. Persecu- 
tion, governments, and storms at sea could 
not prevent Paul from doing what God 
had for him to do. Paul was God's man, 
and so is every one who is obeying His 
will. 

Dr. Gunsaulus says: *^The Almighty 
goes along with those who have taken Him 
on board. To have drowned Paul off the 
coast of Cyprus would have been to have 
drowned the Eternal God from a corn-ship 
53 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

of Alexandria. Fate can not drown Fa- 
ther." 

David's brothers and King Sanl and the 
whole host of the Philistines conld not pre- 
vent him from fnlfiling his mission in life, 
and the world, the flesh, and the devil can 
not keep any man from doing his earth- 
task when God is with him. 

He who finds Jesns Christ as his Sav- 
ior will find his mission in life. 

During the course of one of Gipsy- 
Smith's missions in an Eastern city a very 
wealthy woman, at the close of one of the 
services, approached Mr. Smith and said, 
^* Would it not be well to arrange for a 
meeting of the wealthiest and most fash- 
ionable people in the city and have you 
speak to them?" He said to her, ^*If you 
will arrange for it I will be glad to ad- 
dress them." She said, *^I will do so." 
Eetuming to her home, she sent out a large 
number of invitations for people to come 
54 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

to her own drawing-room and be addressed 
by Gipsy Smith. The Gipsy went to the 
meeting in fear and trembling, not know- 
ing how many wonld be present. Bnt he 
found three hundred awaiting his message. 
He spoke to them, and the Spirit of God 
moved upon their hearts. At the conclu- 
sion of the service the hostess suggested 
that arrangements be made for a meeting 
of the men and their wives of this class 
of people. In doing so she said to Gipsy 
Smith, ^^0, man of God, be plain and be 
faithful. ' ' She then unfolded to him some 
of the secrets of her life, which revealed 
the fact that for years she had been a very 
worldly woman. ^^What have you to say 
to me r ' she asked. He said, * ^ I have noth- 
ing to say, but can present Jesus Christ 
only as your Savior." 

The arrangements were completed for 
the second meeting, which was attended by 
persons who seemed to be arrayed for a 
55 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

social function — diamonds were flashing, 
most fashionable gowns were worn by the 
ladies, and the men appeared in evening 
dress. 

At the conclusion of Mr. Smith's re- 
marks this same woman stepped to the 
front, before them all, and said, '^May I 
have a word?'' She then told them that 
they knew all about her, and of the stand 
she had taken for the things of the world ; 
but now she had chosen Jesus and had 
given her life to Him, and was going to 
serve Him the rest of her days. The effect 
was tremendous. People sobbed and cried 
all over the room. That was more than 
sixteen years ago. She has remained 
faithful and is to-day an angel of mercy 
in the great city in which is her home, and 
is widely known for her faith and good 
works. If we receive Christ as our divine 
Savior from sin, sooner or later we shall 
discover that God has a work for us to do. 
56 



THE REALIZATION OF A MISSION 

It may not be what we would choose for 
ourselves, but when God chooses for us we 
can afford to permit nothing to interfere. 
That will be our mission and in the ful- 
filment of it will make life worth living. 



57 



DAVID AND HIS FEIEND JONA- 
THAN; OE, THE WOETH OP 
FIDELITY 



'^ And it came to pass ivhen he had made 
an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul 
of Jonathan was knit with the soul of Da- 
vid, and Jonathan loved him as his own 
soul.'' — 1 Samuel 18:1. 



DAVID AND HIS FRIEND JONA- 
THAN; OR, THE WORTH OF 
FIDELITY 

The narratives containing the record of 
Jonathan's career concern themselves 
chiefly with his martial exploits and the 
romantic friendship between himself and 
David. 

He was the eldest son of King Sanl and 
takes his place as warrior-prince in the 
very front rank of Israel's bravest sons. 

Two streams seem to have converged in 
the life of Jonathan. One, the heroism of 
the Hebrew patriot, and the other, the 
spirit of Christian virtue. No mention is 
made of him nntil after his father had 
reigned two years. Like David, he was 
graceful, agile, and brave, and it seems but 
61 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

natural to connect his name with the wars 
against the Philistines. He comes upon 
the scene of history in command of a body 
of soldiers. The two armies faced each 
other at the passage of Michmash on the 
north, and the forces of Saul at Gibeah on 
the south side. The latter, outnumbered 
by the Philistines, had the advantage, how- 
ever, of position, for they occupied the top 
of a steep pass regarded by many as im- 
pregnable. The Philistines planted out- 
posts, laid siege and devastated the sur- 
rounding country. The siege was broken, 
however, by the daring boldness of Jona- 
than, who, with no one but his armor- 
bearer, climbed up an ascent between two 
rocks, assailed the Philistines he met, cre- 
ated a panic in their army, which became 
so great that the soldiers turned their 
arms against each other. As the Philis- 
tines fled, Jonathan went through their 
ranks like a plowshare. Seeing that con- 
62 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

fusion reigned among the enemy, Saul and 
Ms forces crossed the ravine, and soon the 
entire army of the Philistines was in a 
panic-stricken flight. 

That the Hebrews might enjoy the fruits 
of the spoil, Saul commanded that no one 
should eat anything until evening on pain 
of death. Jonathan, ignorant of the pro- 
hibition placed upon all, refreshed himself, 
eating of some wild honey which he found 
as he passed in hot chase through the 
wooded hills. When Saul discovered that 
it was his son who had offended, he de- 
clared that his life was forfeited. The peo- 
ple, however, intervened, and the life of 
Jonathan was spared. 

This was the brief military career of 
Jonathan, and although it was this that 
chiefly impressed his contemporaries, it 
was his friendship for David that has ap- 
pealed most strongly to the generations 
since that time. 

63 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

The love of Jonathan for David was of 
a very sudden growth. It seems to have 
been love at first sight. David was yet a 
young man and known to but few when he 
achieved his great victory over the Philis- 
tine champion. His return from the vic- 
tory marked the beginning of a friendship 
unsurpassed in the annals of human his- 
tory. 

With David and Jonathan it was some- 
what like Montaigne and his friend Pierre 
Charron. He could not account for the 
friendship, for it seemed to come to him 
without choice or effort. Concerning his 
friend he said, ^'If a man should impor- 
tune me to give a reason why I loved him, 
I can only answer, because it was he, be- 
cause it was I." 

The reason friendship is so sacred a 
trust is because it is a spiritual affinity be- 
tween two souls. 

64 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

Concerning the friendship of David and 
Jonathan, Hugh Black, in '* Friendship, " 
that gem of friendship literature, says: 
* ' They met, and at the meeting knew each 
other to be nearer than kindred. By subtle 
elective affinity they felt that they be- 
longed to each other. Out of the chaos of 
the time and the disorder of their lives 
there arose for these two souls a new and 
beautiful world, where there reigned peace 
and love and sweet content. It was the 
miracle of the death of self. Jonathan for- 
got his pride, and David his ambition. It 
was as the smile of God which changed 
the world then. One of them it saved from 
the temptations of a corrupt court, and the 
other from the loneliness of an exile 's life. 
Jonathan's princely soul had no room for 
envy or jealousy. David's frank nature 
rose to meet the magnanimity of his 
friend. ' ' 

5 65 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

If friendship is *^one soul in two 
bodies," then the friendship of David and 
Jonathan was that. 

Samuel Johnson said that *^true happi- 
ness consists not in the multitude of 
friends, but in their worth and choice." 

In this historic and immortal friendship 
the outstanding characteristics were 
warmth of affection, unselfishness, helpful- 
ness, confidence, and constancy. 

There was the fervor and passion of 
holy love. It is only in the language of 
the strongest passions that the intensity 
of Jonathan's love for David can be de- 
scribed. It was not in any sense a weak 
or effeminate love, but rather a holy pas- 
sion that called into action his noblest 
powers. It is said, **He loved David as 
his own soul." *^He loved David passing 
the love of woman. ' ' In the parting scene 
*^they kissed one another, and wept one 
with another until David exceeded. ' ' This 
66 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

expression gives one a faint idea of tlie 
outburst of genuine Oriental vehemence. 

Wherever there is friendship in the 
truest and highest sense of the term, soul 
will be knit with soul. 

Acquaintanceship is not friendship. 
The term friend is by many bandied about 
with a degree of carelessness that is shock- 
ing. True friendship binds people to- 
gether as with hoops of steel. One may 
make many acquaintances that never ripen 
into true friendship. Mere acquaintance 
knows little or nothing of that warmth of 
affection which makes friendship perma- 
nent. 

It was the fervor and passion of holy 
love that characterized the friendship of 
Socrates with his group of immortal 
friends ; of Dante with Beatrice ; of Luther 
with Melanchthon; of Goethe with Schiller. 

If in our friendships we clasp but hands, 
we shall one day be separated ; but if soul 
67 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

be knit with soul, we shall be one forever. 
Because he believed in the divinity of his 
friendship with Arthur Hallam, Tennyson 
could say of his departed friend, 

'^Dear heavenly friend that canst not die. 
Mine, mine, forever, ever mine." 

In every such friendship the ingenuities 
of love soon make their appearance. The 
box of confections, the pleasant day excur- 
sion, the bouquet of flowers, little sur- 
prises, and a thousand other things will 
appear attestations of a deep and abiding 
love. But the ingenuities of love in every 
true friendship will be found in some help- 
ful service rendered, and not alone in the 
bestowment of gifts of material value. 

A very warm friendship existed between 
two young men whose morals, it was 
thought, were above reproach. Each had 
the confidence of the other. There came 
a day in the life of one when he awoke to 
68 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

find himself an experienced gambler. He 
had gradually yielded to the subtle pas- 
sion and had spent his noon-hours for 
months in one of New York City's gam- 
bling-houses. His friend knew nothing of 
it until one day, in a confidential mood, the 
gambler could keep back the secret no 
longer from him and he told it all. So 
strong a hold the evil had upon him that 
he admitted his utter helplessness to resist 
its power. 

**Were you always with me," he said to 
his friend, **I might manage it." 

**That is impossible," said the other, 
**but tell me, where do you gamble?" 

** Every day at the dinner hour I go to 
a certain place," and he gave the name 
and number of the house. 

^^I will tell you what I will do," said the 
friend. *^ Every day as the clock strikes 
one I will pray for you. ' ' 

A day or two after that conversation he 
69 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

came to his friend and said: ^'I give you 
my word I shall gamble no more. Yester- 
day I tried to go to the place to gamble, 
and I conld not. I thought what a shame 
it was that yon should be praying for me, 
and that I should be gambling at that 
very hour, and I could not do it.'' 

The man was conquered by the ingenu- 
ity of love and the power of prayer. A 
great and loving heart is resourceful in the 
expressions of its love. 

The friendship of David and Jonathan 
was an unselfish friendship. 

Saul called Jonathan's attention to the 
fact that if he continued his friendship for 
David he would gain nothing, but lose 
everything. Jonathan was, however, too 
sincere in his love for David to think of 
the personal loss which might befall him. 
In every noble friendship there is a sense 
in which self dies. The vicarious principle 
is essential. Until we are willing not only 
70 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

to suffer inconvenience for the sake of a 
friend, bnt also to suffer personal loss if 
need be, we are not worthy to be called a 
friend. Jonathan was willing to give up 
everything that might stand in the way 
of David ^s welfare and promotion, even 
the throne to which he was heir. 

In my school days I had a chum I loved. 
He was a poor boy and was compelled to 
work his way through school. We rejoiced 
in each other's love and confidence. A 
few weeks after the school year opened he 
was stricken with typhoid fever. The 
school was not equipped with a hospital, 
and he was unable to employ a nurse. I 
was glad for the opportunity of helping 
him. Securing permission to absent my- 
self from recitations, I literally gave my- 
self for days and weeks to caring for him. 
After a time arrangements were made for 
his aged mother to come to see him. Be- 
fore she arrived the change had come for 
71 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

the better, and her son was convalescing. 
As she entered the room she could not 
speak. Her heart was too full of grati- 
tude. Her tears were more eloquent than 
words. It was a service of sacrifice ren- 
dered most gladly for my friend. Friend- 
ship is never at its best until we have given 
not only what we have, but what we are. 

Jonathan's second interposition was at 
great risk. He discovered his father 's set- 
tled purpose and conveyed to David a 
warning to flee from the court. It might 
have cost him his life, but he would gladly 
have laid that down had the occasion re- 
quired it. 

Helpfulness was also one of the out- 
standing characteristics in the friendship 
of David and Jonathan. Friendship must 
be spiritual if it is to be of the greatest 
benefit. There must be the deepest fellow- 
ship in the things that relate to the soul. 

There must be a community in the high- 
72 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

est thoughts and sympathy in the noblest 
endeavors. Every one who has a friend is 
called upon to be at his very best for the 
sake of that friend. When there is any 
yielding to that which is immoral, the dis- 
solution of friendship will very likely fol- 
low. 

Some of the saddest wrecks in life are 
those that have occurred at the point of 
a moral breakdown. On that occasion, 
when between two intimate friends there 
was committed a deed of shame, the ties 
of friendship were loosened just a little. 

So long as friendship is pure it is a 
moral preservative. More than one per- 
son has been made strong to resist evil by 
thinking of a good friend whose purity of 
life is a rebuke to sin in any form. 

Moody said that character is what a man 
is in the dark. If that be true of char- 
acter, it is true also of friendship. When 
in the intimacy of a real friendship we let 
73 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

down the bars, morally speaking, a change 
takes place of which both parties become 
conscious. Sin has done it. 

Confidence and constancy are the other 
two elements in the friendship of David 
and Jonathan. I link them together. How 
full and frank is the mutual confidence of 
true friends ! What a joy to have a friend 
whom we can trust ! Into whose heart we 
can pour our sorrows and our joys ! Such 
a friendship takes the edge from sorrow 
and the sting from pain. Constancy, that 
crowning grace of friendship, had a very 
large place in the life of David and Jona- 
than. This may be seen by glancing at the 
record of the stolen interview in the wood. 

The five elements that have been men- 
tioned are essential to every true friend- 
ship. WitI these present when friendship 
ripens into matrimony, the union will be 
perfect. 

Society is facing a grave danger these 
74 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

days. Many seem not to appreciate the 
sacredness of the marriage tie. It is to 
be feared that young people enter the mat- 
rimonial state without a proper appreci- 
ation of what it involves. I do not mean 
to say that all do — that would be both un- 
true and unjust. — but I do fear that many 
do not realize as fully as they should the 
sacredness of the obligations assumed at 
the marriage altar. 

A young couple appeared at the home 
of a minister, presenting a marriage li- 
cense, and requesting him to perform the 
ceremony. The bearing of the young lady 
was of such a frivolous character as to 
cause the minister to question her as to 
her sincerity. When asked if she fully ap- 
preciated the step she was about to take, 
with a jaunty toss of her head she replied : 
*'0, well. If I find that I do not like him 
I can easily get another." The minister 
declined to perform the ceremony, as was 
75 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

right and proper. The couple left the par- 
sonage considerably angered, but at any 
rate in a more serious frame of mind. 

The attitude of the young lady referred 
to may account for the large number of 
applications for divorce in this country. 
The statistics show that nearly eighty 
thousand divorces are granted by the 
United States courts annually. This num- 
ber does not represent the total number of 
applicants, for about ten per cent of those 
who apply for divorce are refused. If di- 
vorces are as numerous in the next ten 
years as they have been during the past 
ten, the divorce population in this country 
will be enormous. The disturbance in the 
family relation under such conditions as 
will then exist is enough to make the light- 
est heart sad and the stoutest quake with 
fear. 

The family is the social unit, and it is 
the foundation stone upon which society 
76 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

rests. Family instability in the United 
States is increasing at a rate nnequaled in 
any other Christian country. 

In 1867 there were granted in the United 
States courts 9,937 divorces, in 1886 there 
were 29,535, and in the year 1909, nearly 
80,000. 

The Church is being prevented from do- 
ing her best work in many places because 
of the embarrassment she is under in re- 
gard to the divorce evil. So long as peo- 
ple regard the matrimonial state simply as 
a contract between two parties, to be kept 
just as long as both are true to the term 
of the agreement and are not disagreeable 
to each other, this question will continue 
to assume increasingly large and alarming 
proportions. 

Under conditions existing in some parts 
of the United States, the manner in which 
many live as man and wife can not in 
77 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

the true sense be called marriage, but 
rather installment of polygamy. 

Loose and so-called liberal views are 
fast making their way into modern society. 
In many social circles divorce is referred 
to with levity; the theater burlesques the 
marriage relation and presents faithless- 
ness as a light and comparatively unim- 
portant matter. Much of the modern liter- 
ature smells of ^^ stale beer and ciga- 
rettes,'' deals romantically with the un- 
happiness of husbands and wives, and the 
pleasures of guilty relationships. 

Now a few of the modern novels make 
it appear an easier and pleasanter thing 
to be a pampered mistress than a burdened 
mother and wife. 

Such conditions are slowly but most 
surely lowering the ethical and moral 
standards of society and endangering the 
future welfare of the American people. 

When Christ is our best Friend all the 
elements I have mentioned as character- 
78 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 

istic of the friendship of David and Jona- 
than will be fonnd in us. Onr friendships 
will be characterized by warmth of affec- 
tion, unselfishness, helpfulness, confidence, 
and constancy. Then shall we know the 
worth of fidelity. 

It is by such ties as these that Christ 
holds His friends to Himself. If we should 
know the friendship of the Master we 
must be our very best for His sake. 

A Fkiend 11^ Need. 

*'A friend in need,'' my neighbor said to 

me; 
**A friend indeed is what I mean to be; 
In time of trouble I will come to you, 
And in the hour of need you '11 find me 

true." 

I thought a bit, and took him by the hand ; 

**My friend," said I, ^^you do not under- 
stand 

The inner meaning of that simple rhyme^ — ^ 

A friend is what the heart needs all the 
time." — Henry VanDyUe. 

79 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN; OR, THE 
TREACHERY OF CONSCIENCE 



^'Nathan said to David, Thou art the 
man/'— 2 Samuel 12:7. 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN; OE, THE 
TEEACHEEY OF CONSCIENCE 

Ueiah was one of the thirty commanders 
of the thirty bands into which David's 
army was divided. He was not a Jew by 
birth, but adopted the Jewish religion 
when he married Bathsheba, the daughter 
of Eliam, who was known for her extraor- 
dinary beauty. 

The house in which Uriah and his wife 
lived was not far from the royal palace 
and so situated that Bathsheba could fre- 
quently be seen by David. It was while 
Uriah was engaged in the Ammonite war, 
and necessarily, therefore, absent from his 
home, that the king conceived for the 
beautiful Bathsheba the uncontrollable 
passion, to which she offered no resistance. 
83 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

He tried to cover up the black crime, and 
to save the good name of both himself and 
the woman by calling the brave warrior- 
hnsband back home under the pretense of 
inquiring regarding the progress of the 
war. Uriah refused to return home, but 
accepted the king's hospitality, sleeping 
at night in the guard's quarters at the 
palace gate. On the last night of his visit 
the king tried to entrap him by making 
him drunk, but without success; for al- 
though the soldier fell into a state of in- 
toxication, he was master of himself suffi- 
ciently to refuse to sleep anywhere but at 
the gate. 

The next day David sent him back to 
the camp with a letter to Joab, containing 
an order for him to contrive some means 
of putting him to death. Joab conceived 
the plan of placing him in such an exposed 
position as to render his death a certainty. 
Uriah with his soldiers advanced as far 
84 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

as the gate of tlie city and was immedi- 
ately shot down by the Ammonite archers, 
imconscions of the deed of shame of which 
his wife had been guilty. Upon receiving 
the news of her husband's death, Bath- 
sheba manifested no sense of shame or re- 
morse. Only the customary outward signs 
of the grief of a widow were displayed, 
and she was taken into the harem as the 
wife of the king. 

For fifty years David had borne a stain- 
less name. For more than thirty years he 
had been a model of courage, of devotion, 
of fidelity, and of irreproachable chivalry. 
But now he who had been the personifica- 
tion of all that was best and noblest, sinned 
grievously against the holiest of human re- 
lationships, and to the sin of adultery had 
added murder. 

Concerning his great sin, South says: 
**We read of nothing like adultery in a 
persecuted David in the wilderness, when 
85 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

he fled hither and thither like a chased doe 
upon the mountains; but when the delica- 
cies of his palace softened and ungirt his 
spirit, then it was that this great hero fell 
by a glance, and buried his glories in noc- 
turnal shame, giving to his name a lasting 
stain, and to his conscience a fearful 
wound." 

The Bible's character-pictures are in 
flawless detail. 

It is related of Alexander, King of Mac- 
edon, who sat for his portrait, that he in- 
sisted upon resting his face upon his hand, 
as though in thoughtful reverie. The rea- 
son, however, was that he might hide from 
the observers an unsightly scar. 

We find in the Bible a full-length por- 
trait of David, and no efforts have been 
made to hide the scars. "While it reveals 
the beauty of holiness, it also reveals the 
immeasurable depths of sin and shame 
into which we may plunge by a single act. 
86 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

In David's great sin we see that no one 
in this life, however good or great, is be- 
yond the possibility of sinning. 

A crime like this has, as a rule, a history 
of which the act is but the fruit. 

Moral breakdown usually begins by tam- 
pering with conscience. There is first a 
letting down of the bars somewhere. I can 
believe tha.t David committed the deed of 
shame in his mind and heart first. In that 
he was an adulterer; for ^^ whosoever 
looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath 
committed adultery with her already in his 
heart. ' ' 

His conscience had become weakened, 
and therefore ceased to be a monitor of his 
actions. A weakened conscience is a dis- 
eased conscience, and as such is always 
treacherous. David was neither the first 
nor the last to commit the great sin. So- 
ciety is honey-combed with this vice to- 
day. We have become so accustomed to 
87 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

the term '^ white slave" that it is almost 
a by-word. A mock modesty has hitherto 
rendered it almost impossible to discuss 
the subject before popular audiences. 
That day is past now, and the warfare 
against this monstrous evil is at last in 
the open. I have been asked frequently 
by parents if it is really true that there 
is in this country such a thing as white 
slavery. The ignorance that makes pos- 
sible such a question in these days is in- 
excusable, if indeed it be not criminal. 
The recent examination of more than two 
hundred *^ white slaves" by Edwin N. 
Sims, United States District Attorney of 
Chicago, and his assistants, establishes be- 
yond question the fact that literally thou- 
sands of innocent girls are every year en- 
trapped into a life of hopeless slavery. 
The life of shame which many daughters 
are living to-day might have been averted 
had their parents but known the traps that 
88 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

are set at all times in our great cities for 
their destniction. 

If any one is inclined to think that the 
term ** white slave'' is too severe or over- 
drawn, let him note the following cases as 
related by Mr. Sims. These are but two 
of many that might be given. 

Among those who were captured in the 
Chicago raids, under the direction of the 
United States District Attorney's office of 
that city, was a young girl, then only 
eighteen years of age. The following is 
the district attorney's own account of the 
case: 

^ ^ Her home was in France, and when she 
was only fourteen years old she was ap- 
proached by a * white slaver,' who prom- 
ised her employment in America as a 
lady's maid or companion. The wage of- 
fered was far beyond what she could ex- 
pect to get in her own country — ^but far 
more alluring to her than the money she 
89 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

could earn was the picture of the life which 
would be hers in free America. Her sur- 
roundings would be luxurious; she would 
be the constant recipient of gifts of dainty 
clothing from her mistress, and even the 
hardest work she would be called upon to 
do would be in itself a pleasure and an ex- 
citement 

** Naturally she was eager to leave her 
home and trust herself to one who would 
provide her with so enchanting a future. 
Her friends of her own age seasoned their 
farewells to her with envy of her rare good 
fortune. 

* * On arrival in Chicago she was taken to 
the house of ill-fame to which she had been 
sold by the procurer. There this child of 
fourteen was quickly and unceremoniously 
* broken in' to the hideous life of depravity 
for which she had been entrapped. The 
white slaver who sold her was able to 
drive a most profitable bargain, for she 
90 



DAVID'S GREAT SIN 

was rated as uncommonly attractive. In 
fact he made her life of shame a perpetual 
source of income, and when — not long ago 
— he was captured and indicted for the im- 
portation of other girls, this girl was used 
as the agency of providing him with two 
thousand dollars for his defense I 

*^But let us look for a moment at the 
mentionable facts of this child's daily 
routine of life and see if such an existence 
justifies the use of the term * slavery.' 
After she had furnished a night of servi- 
tude to the brutal passions of vile fre- 
quenters of the place, she was then com- 
pelled each night to put off her tawdry 
costume, array herself in the garb of a 
scrub-woman, and, on her hands and knees, 
scrub the house from top to bottom. No 
weariness, no exhaustion ever excused her 
from this drudgery, which was a full day's 
work for a strong woman. 

^^ After her scrubbing was done she was 
91 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

allowed to go to her chamber and sleep, 
locked in her room to prevent her possible 
escape, imtil the orgies of the next day, 
or rather night, began. She was allowed 
no liberties, no freedom, and in the two 
and a half years of her slavery in this 
house she was not given even one dollar 
to spend for her otV^ comfort or pleasure. 
The legal evidence collected shows that 
during this period of slavery she earned 
for those who owned her not less than 
eight thousand and probably ten thousand 
dollars." 

The other case is that of a little Italian 
girl who was found helping her father in 
the vineyards near Naples. 

*^Like most of the others taken in the 
raids, she stoutly maintained that she had 
been in this country for more than three 
yearS; and that she was in a life of shame 
from choice and not through the criminal 
act of any person. When she was brought 
92 



DAVID'S GREAT SIN 

into what the sensational newspaper would 
call the * sweat box/ it was clear that she 
was in a state of abject terror. Soon, 
however, Assistant United States District 
Attorney Parkin, having charge of the ex- 
amination, convinced her that he and his 
associates were her friends and protectors, 
and that their purpose was to punish those 
who had profited by her ruin and to send 
her back to her little Italian home with all 
her expenses paid ; that she was under the 
protection of the United States, and was 
safe as if the king of Italy should take 
her under his royal care and pledge his 
word that her enemies should not have re- 
venge upon her. 

*^Then she broke down and with pitiful 
sobs related her awful narrative. That 
every word of it is true no one could 
doubt who saw her as she told it. Briefly, 
this is her story: 

*^A ^fine lady' who wore beautiful 
93 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

clothes came to lier where she lived with 
her parents, made friends with her, told 
her that she was uncommonly pretty (the 
truth, by the way), and professed a great 
interest in her. Such flattering attentions 
from an American lady who wore clothes 
as fine as those of the Italian nobility could 
have but one effect on the mind of this sim- 
ple little peasant girl and of her still sim- 
pler parents. Their heads were com- 
pletely turned and they regarded the 
'American lady' with almost adoration. 

*'Very shrewdly the woman did not at- 
tempt to bring the little girl back with her, 
but held out the hope that some day a let- 
ter might come with money for her pas- 
sage to America. Once there, she would 
become the companion of her American 
friend, and they would have great times 
together. 

* * Of course, in due time the money came 
— and the one hundred dollars was a most 
94 



DAVID'S GEEAT SIN ^ 

substantial pledge to the parents of tlie 
wealth and generosity of the ^American 
lady.' Unhesitatingly she was prepared 
for the voyage which was to take her to 
the land of happiness and good fortune. 
According to the arrangements made by 
letter, the girl was met at New York by 
two ^friends' of her benefactress, who 
attended to her entrance papers and 
took her in charge. These ^friends' were 
two of the most brutal of all the white 
slave drivers who are in the traffic. At 
this time she was about sixteen years old, 
innocent, and rarely attractive for a girl 
of her class, having the large, handsome 
eyes, the black hair, and the rich olive skin 
of a typical Italian. 

'^ Where these two men took her she did 
not know; but by the most violent and 
brutal means they quickly accomplished 
her ruin. For a week she was subjected 
to unspeakable treatment and made to feel 
95 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

that her degradation was complete and 
final. 

**And here let it be said that the break- 
ing of the spirit, the crushing of all hope 
for any fntnre save that of shame is al- 
ways a part of the initiation of a white 
slave. Then the girl was shipped to Chi- 
cago, where she was disposed of to the 
keeper of an Italian dive of the vilest type. 
On her entrance here she was furnished 
with gaudy dresses and wearing apparel, 
for which the keeper of the place charged 
her six hundred dollars. As in the case 
with all new white slaves, she was not 
allowed to have any clothing which she 
could wear upon the street. 

**Her one object in life was to escape 
from the den in which she was held a pris- 
oner. To *pay out' seemed the surest 
way, and at length, from her wages of 
shame, she was able to cancel the six-hun- 
dred-dollar account. Then she asked for 
96 



DAVID'S GEEAT SIN 

her street clothing and her release, only 
to be told that she had incurred other ex- 
penses to the amount of four hundred dol- 
lars. 

' ^ Her Italian blood took fire at this, and 
she made a dash for liberty. But she was 
not quick enough, and the hand of the op- 
pressor was upon her. In the wild scene 
that followed she was slashed with a razor, 
one gash straight through her right eye, 
one across her cheek, and another slitting 
her ear. Then she was given medical at- 
tention, and the wounds gradually healed, 
but her face is horribly mutilated, her 
right eye is always open, and to look upon 
her is to shudder. 

* ^ When the raids began she was secreted 
and arrangements made to ship her to a 
dive in the mining regions of the West. 
Fortunately, however, a few hours before 
she was to start upon her journey the 
United States marshals raided the place 
7 97 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

and captured herself as well as the keep- 
ers. To add to the horror of her situation, 
she is soon to become a mother. The awful 
thought in her mind, however, is to escape 
from assassination at the hands of the 
murderous gang which oppressed her. ' ' 

Where is there, any form of slavery more 
diabolical than this! The *' white slave" 
is an actual prisoner. She is under the 
most constant surveillance, as the book by 
Mr. Clifford G. Eoe, ^^ Panders and Their 
White Slaves," shows. She is under the 
closest watch both by the keeper to whom 
she is **let" and by the procurer who owns 
her. She is given no liberty until such 
time as she has lost all possible desire to 
escape. 

A comparatively few of our people are 
aware that there is a syndicate which does 
regular and constant business in the ruina- 
tion of girls, which is so perfectly organ- 
ized that it plys its unhallowed arts in 
98 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

nearly every city, town, and hamlet of this 
country, and the rural regions as well. 

Mr. Sims estimates that not fewer than 
fifteen thousand girls have been imported 
into this country in the last year as ** white 
slaves, ' ' and that while this is only an ap- 
proximate estimate, he believes it to be 
conservative. But the girls that are im- 
ported are but a fraction of the number 
recruited for the great army of prostitu- 
tion from home fields, from the cities, 
towns, and villages of our country. 

Such a condition of affairs renders the 
womanhood of America unsafe. Parents 
whose daughters go to the great cities 
to work should accompany them, inform 
themselves regarding the places in which 
they are to be employed, and ascertain the 
character of the people for whom they are 
to work. They should also know where 
they are to make their homes and by what 
conditions they are to be surrounded. It 
99 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

is not a difficult matter to obtain such in- 
formation, and even if it were, the pro- 
tection of the moral life of the daughter 
would be worth it all. Better to sell the 
farm and move to the city, thereby provid- 
ing a home for the daughter, than to lose 
their child to a life of shame. 

Chastity is woman's crowning virtue. 
'^Keep thyself pure" applies to man as 
well as woman. 

^^Thou shalt not commit adultery" is 
one of God's imperishable commands. 
The life and law of Christ make no place 
for a double standard of morals. The 
Master 's message was ^ ' a white life for 
two." There is no room in Christian 
ethics for the double standard. 

Why should a man whose habit is to fra- 
ternize with men in saloons, men who are 
both vicious and vile, be considered a gen- 
tleman and permitted to mingle freely with 
men and women in the best circles; 
100 



DAVID'S GREAT SIN 

whereas, if such were the practice of a 
woman, she would be regarded as an out- 
cast? 

Why condemn the girl guilty of the 
great sin and excuse a man guilty of a 
greater sin? Why should the support of 
Christian men be given to political candi- 
dates whose habits of life are such as 
would ruin any woman? Why should a 
man be permitted to associate with a pure 
woman when his breath is foul with nar- 
cotics and his clothes reeking with the 
odors of the bar-room? 

What right has a man to demand of a 
woman, whom he asks to become his wife, 
a higher moral standard than he himself 
possesses? Not until the law of chastity 
is regarded as equally binding upon both 
man and woman will the womanhood of 
this country be adequately protected. 

David was brought to see the heinous- 
ness of his great sin by a courageous 
101 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

preacher. Nathan led up to the charge 
with commendable delicacy and diplomacy. 
His method of approach was all thought 
out beforehand, and at the psychological 
moment he brought conviction to the mind 
and heart of the king in the words, * ^ Thou 
art the man." It takes courage to make 
such a statement to any guilty sinner and 
in such a way as to lead him to repentance. 
A short time ago the chancellor of Ger- 
many, Prince von Buelow, was compelled 
to rebuke the emperor because of some 
unguarded statements he had made and 
which were published in the Daily Tele- 
graph, of London. The emperor had been 
severely criticised in the Eeichstag, and 
not one word was spoken in his defense. 
Just what was said by the chancellor to the 
emperor is not known, but shortly after- 
ward the chancellor endeavored to explain 
matters, and in so doing made a most re- 
102 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

markable statement, which included the 
following paragraph: 

^^The recognition of his majesty of the 
unjustified misunderstanding of his utter- 
ances with reference to Great Britain, and 
the excitement and regret aroused thereby 
in Germany, will, I am convinced, lead the 
emperor, in future private conversations, 
to exercise that reserve which in the inter- 
est of a uniform policy and the authority 
of the crown is indispensable. If this 
proves not to be so, neither I nor any one 
of my successors could take the responsi- 
bility." 

Such a statement shows very clearly 
that the emperor accepted the rebuke. To 
accuse any one of sin or wrong-doing re- 
quires courage, but to rebuke a superior 
calls for courage of the highest type. 

At the trial of Leroy Sunderland, 
Bishop Soule, who promoted the charges, 
103 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

also presided. The bishop was six feet in 
height and of majestic bearing. At a cer- 
tain point, when Sunderland was severely 
criticising him, Bishop Soule declared that 
in all his career no man had ever dared to 
speak to him in that way. "When the 
bishop had done speaking, Sunderland 
gathered all the strength of his failing 
voice and screamed out, ^ ' I thank God that 
one man has been able to say to your face 
what hundreds have been saying behind 
your back.'' 

Nathan not only rebuked David for his 
great sin, but in so doing rebuked his su- 
perior. David's remarkable repentance is 
proof enough that Nathan's words had the 
desired effect. 

He who would be free from sin must 
keep his heart and mind opened to the In- 
finite. 

Marconi's new discovery has astonished 
two continents. At his little station on the 
104 



DAVID'S GEE AT SIN 

coast of Newfoundland he has received 
wireless telegraphic messages from Great 
Britain, across three thousand miles of 
ocean which lies between. His discovery 
may yet supersede all cables, telephones, 
and ordinary telegraph by wire. It is the 
greatest wonder of the new century and, 
like other wonders, simple enough. These 
waves, like the ripples in a pond, spread 
in every direction, and when they reach 
any receiver, far or near, tuned to take 
them, they give their message to it. A 
receiver not tuned to the proper pitch, 
however, is useless ; the subtle ether waves 
pass it by to give their message elsewhere. 
Thus a hundred messages may reach a 
tuned receiver with absolute certainty, 
while one wrongly tuned misses them all. 
If to us the voice of God is obscured and 
His direct message an unknown experi- 
ence, we may be sure that something is 
wrong with the receiver. The message of 
105 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

God is here whispering through all the uni- 
verse. The soul in tune with the divine 
hears it, records it, acts upon it, and is 
saved from the sin of the world. 

*' Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hear- 
eth." 



106 



THE PRODIGAL'S HIGHWAY BACK 
TO PAEDON 



^'And David said unto Nathan, I have 
sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said 
unto David, Jehovah also hath put away 
thy sin; thou shalt not die/ '^—2 Samuel 
12:12. 



THE PEODIGAL'S HIGHWAY BACK 
TO PAEDON 

It was a whole year before David repented 
of his great sin. It was a year of remorse 
for Israel's shepherd-king. The blackness 
of his crime, together with its attendant 
evils, haunted him. In the hush of the mid- 
night hour he lived over again the deed 
of shame. Nor did he find relief from its 
hauntings by day, for he says, *^My sin 
is ever before me." What disease is to 
the body, remorse is to the conscience. 

David is a perfect illustration of the fact 
that the forces of the natural world are 
insufficient in themselves to make a man 
good. If natural forces were sufficient, 
then David had never fallen into sin, for 
he was one of the Lord's most favored. 
He was possessed of an unusually fine 
109 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

physique, and Ms beauty of countenance 
and grace of manner were far famed. He 
came of good ancestry and early won the 
favor of ruler and ruled alike. He was 
courageous and patriotic, a bom leader 
and ruler of men. 

But the material blessings of his life 
were no guarantee against moral failure. 
David committed the great sin in the face 
of all these things. The world provides 
for everything but the soul. There is 
beauty for the eye, harmony for the ear, 
deliciousness for the taste, and a multitude 
of other things, but the world makes no 
provision for the soul. There is no substi- 
tute for the spiritual in man. Good houses 
for men to live in, bath-tubs and needle- 
baths are all good as far as they go, but 
they do not go far enough. Churches, 
Young Men's and Young "Women's Chris- 
tian Associations, and other religious or 
semi-religious organizations fail in the 
110 



THE PEODIGAL'g HIGHWAY 

very highest when they do not properly 
emphasize the spiritual. 

Toward the close of that remorseful 
year, Nathan, the prophet of God, came 
upon the scene and told David that ^^the 
sword should never depart from his 
house." The words of the prophet wrung 
from the heart of David unqualified ac- 
knowledgment of his wrong-doing, and he 
cried, ^*I have sinned against the Lord." 

His repentance was as marvelous as his 
transgression. There is no more mem- 
orable instance of contrition recorded in 
history. Theodosius felt the sting of Am- 
brose 's rebuke, and the haughty Plantag- 
enet sorrowed deeply for the murder of 
Becket, but the repentance of David was 
more profound . than either of these. It 
struck life's deepest chords and is forever 
enshrined in the heart of a sinful world. 
Unconditional repentance was for David 
the highway back to pardon. 
Ill 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

Having acknowledged the greatness of 
his sin, Nathan says to David, **The Lord 
also hath put away thy sin." It would 
seem from the narrative that the prophecy 
of Nathan was fulfiled almost immedi- 
ately, for that very day the child of Bath- 
sheba was smitten with a fatal disease and 
died within a week. 

It is after all this, that from the depths 
of his broken heart David cries out, in the 
Fifty-first Psalm, ^^Blot out my trans- 
gressions, wash me thoroughly from mine 
iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." It 
is generally agreed that the Psalm, of 
which these three petitions form a part, 
was written immediately after the proph- 
et's declaration of divine forgiveness. 

The sincerity of his repentance is indi- 
cated in the meaning of the words used in 
the psalmist's cry for pardon. ''Blot out 
my transgressions." 

The word for transgression is rebellion. 
112 



THE PEODIGAL'S HIGHWAY 

If Adam and Eve were the first to rebel 
against the divine will, David was not the 
last. But he was a rebel, nevertheless, and 
committed the great sin knowing full well 
that in so doing he sinned outrageously 
against God's law and love. 

His next petition was, **Wash me thor- 
oughly from mine iniquity. ' ' The meaning 
of iniquity is that which is bent or twisted. 
No more fitting and appropriate term 
could have been employed to describe Da- 
vid's moral condition. He was bent and 
twisted morally. 

One afternoon I was asked to call upon 
a young man who had been severely in- 
jured in the rolling-mill in which he was 
working. I was sitting by the bedside of 
the poor fellow when the doctor called, 
who made a very thorough examination, 
and after a few minutes left the room. 
Following him out into the hall, I said, 
'^Doctor, how is your patient getting 
8 113 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

along?" *^Very well," he replied, ^^but I 
am afraid he will always be bent." 

Sin does that very thing for a man's 
spiritual and moral nature. The man in 
sin is bent. It is impossible for him to 
walk erect. David realized how bent and 
twisted his moral nature was, and cried out 
to God that he might be straightened. In 
the use of the expression **wash me thor- 
onghly" he doubtless had in mind the 
method of cleansing garments common to 
that day. It was by the severe method of 
treading and beating until not only the 
garment was cleansed of dirt, but every 
wrinkle pressed out. 

In this cry David means to say, *'Lord, 
whatever be the discipline you may adopt 
for my moral straightening, I will sub- 
mit." 

As he ponders over the matter he re- 
alizes that his transgressions and iniqui- 
ties all emanated from one common source, 
114 



THE PRODIGAL'S HIGHWAY 

Sin. He did not desire to have his contri- 
tion and penitence embrace single acts. 
He wanted the waters made pure at the 
fountainhead, and he therefore prays for 
a clean heart. His words are, ^^ Cleanse 
me from my sin." 

A few years ago the daily press con- 
tained an acconnt of a man who leaped into 
a reservoir which supplied the residents 
of a nearby city with drinking water. 
Upon being arrested by one of the guards, 
it was discovered that he was an escaped 
lunatic and that he was the victim of a 
loathsome and contagions disease. When 
the startling discovery was made, the great 
pumps were stopped and the water was 
drained oflP through the sewer. Then the 
reservoir was cleaned antiseptically and 
every possible means was employed to pre- 
vent an epidemic of disease in the city. 

The people of the city were in danger 
as long as the source was impure. To have 
115 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

his transgressions blotted ont, to have 
himself washed thoroughly from his in- 
iquity, it was necessary that the heart be 
cleansed of sin, for ^^out of the heart are 
the issues of life." 

In this connection it is to be noted that 
David blamed no one but himself for his 
sin. He was honest enough to acknowl- 
edge himself the responsible party. In 
this series of petitions he says, ^^my trans- 
gressions," ''my iniquity," ''my sin." 

He believed he was personally respon- 
sible and took the blame upon himself. He 
tried to blame no ancestor, and threw the 
responsibility for his crime upon no friend. 
He acknowledged that he was personally 
responsible to God for his wrong-doing, 
and cried, ^* Against Thee, Thee only have 
I sinned." 

The story is told of a man in the East 
who was lying in a prison cell for murder. 
A friend came to see him, and in their 
116 



THE PRODIGAL'S HIGHWAY 

conversation they spoke of the crime com- 
mitted. Between the different cells there 
were curtains, so that a person on the 
other side could easily hear all that was 
being said. The man told his friend all 
about his life, and then came the story of 
the murder. When less than half way 
through he suddenly stopped and would 
say no more, for he heard through the 
curtain the scratch of a pen. He therefore 
remained silent, the interview ended, and 
his friend went away. The man feared 
lest his words should be noted against him. 
Mr. Drummond, who relates this story, 
is quite right when he says, ^^God does 
not play the part of detective with us." 
God has no need of doing so, for all things 
are known to Him. We can not hide our 
sins from God. In the great assize all 
must answer for the deeds done in the 
body. The Almighty never forsakes the 
man who, like David, treads the highway 
117. 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

back to pardon. He will come to his re- 
lief. He will forgive. 

In the early days in Eastern countries 
prisoners were chained together in dark 
and stifling dungeons and left to die. 
When one died, the body of the other re- 
mained chained to the man next to him. 
Paul had some such thought in mind when 
he cried, *^Who shall deliver me from this 
dead body?" He was referring to his 
own sinful life. But he is not hopeless, for 
in the next breath he exclaims trium- 
phantly, ^*I thank God through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord.'' 

This is the provision God has made for 
us. Jesus Christ is our hope. "What God 
did for David He will do for every man 
who, like David, treads the highway of 
repentance. 

A distinguished musician ordered a 
manufacturer of violins to make for him 
the best instrument possible. He told him 
118 



THE PEODIGAL'S HIGHWAY 

to use the best material, take all the time 
he wished, and use all his skill in its con- 
struction. 

The manufacturer sent for the musician 
to come and try the violin. As the musi- 
cian drew the bow across the instrument, 
his face became clouded. Lifting the in- 
strument, he smashed it to pieces on the 
counter, handed the price to the manu- 
facturer, and left the shop. The manufac- 
turer was not satisfied with mere pay; his 
reputation was at stake. He gathered the 
fragments of the violin and put them to- 
gether. After he had remade the violin 
out of the pieces, he again sent for the 
musician. This time the frown was not 
seen ; as he drew the bow across the strings 
he told the manufacturer that he had suc- 
ceeded at last in making just the kind of 
instrument he desired. ^*What is the 
price r^ inquired the musician. ^^ Nothing 
at all,'' replied the manufacturer; ^4t is 
119 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

the same instrument that yon smashed to 
pieces some time ago; I put it together, 
and ont of the fragments this perfect mu- 
sic has been made.'' Let us believe the 
parable. God can take the fragments of 
a shattered life, and by His grace put them 
together so that under the touch of His 
Holy Spirit there will go forth music good 
enough for earth and heaven. 



120 



A HEAET-BEOKEN PARENT 



^'And the king said unto the Cushite, Is 
it well with the young man Absalomf And 
the Cushite answered. The enemies of my 
lord the king, and all that rise up against 
thee to do thee hurt, he as that young man 
is. And the king was much moved, and 
went up to the chamber over the gate, and 
wept; and as he went, thus he said, my 
son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! 
would I had died for thee, Absalom, my 
son, my son!" — 2 Samuel 18: 32, 33. 



A HEAET-BEOKEN PAEENT 

Absalom was the third son of David, the 
flower and pride of the whole nation. ^ ^ In 
all Israel there was none to be praised for 
his beauty '^ like him. ^'From the crown 
of his head to the sole of his foot there 
was no blemish in him. ' ' He had a wealth 
of hair, and year by year and month by 
month its weight was reckoned. 

He comes into prominence in connection 
with the story of his sister Tamar, who 
was also the half-sister of Amnon, David 's 
eldest son. Amnon, impelled by lust, 
basely deceived and then foully outraged 
Tamar, which deed cost him his life. Ab- 
salom sought revenge by inviting the king 
and his sons to a feast at the sheep-shear- 
ing season of the year. David declined 
123 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

personally to go, but permitted Amnon and 
Ms brothers to attend. When the feast 
was at its height, the servants of Absa- 
lom, at a signal given by himself, fell upon 
Amnon and put him to death. 

The stupendous tragedy unfolds rapidly 
after this. Absalom fled to the court of 
his maternal grandfather, Talmai, the king 
of Geshur, where he remained for three 
years. After a time the royal father 
seemed to have forgotten the murder of 
Amnon, and he longed for the return of 
his exiled son. Joab, perceiving this, con- 
trived with the aid of **a wise woman of 
Tekoah'' to procure a reversal of the vir- 
tual sentence of banishment, and Absalom 
returned to Jerusalem, but was not per- 
mitted to approach the presence of the 
king. Two years later he was received 
back into royal favor. David ^s leniency in 
the case of Amnon, and his injudicious 
mingling of leniency and severity in his 
124 



A HEART-BROKEN PARENT 

attitude toward Absalom had completely 
estranged his son from him. Prom this 
on the spoiled favorite began to hatch the 
plot which proved fatal to him and which 
gave to his name an odions notoriety. He 
took advantage of a misunderstanding 
that existed between his father and the 
men of Judah, and sought the favor of all 
who appeared at the court. He flattered 
those who came to have matters of law 
decided, and dropped the suggestion wher- 
ever possible that if he were the king af- 
fairs would be disposed of justly. In this 
way he *^ stole the hearts of the men of 
Israel." 

At length, when he judged the time ripe 
for organized rebellion, he asked leave of 
absence ostensibly to pay a vow, but in 
reality to become the active head of a 
movement which he had reason to believe 
would place him on the throne as king. 
Almost all the nobles of the court were 
125 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

with him when he was actually proclaimed 
king. David, utterly unprepared, set out 
from Jerusalem with his faithful body- 
guard, who saved him at this crisis. His 
old energy and skill soon returned. Hu- 
shai, his trusted counselor, was sent back 
to profess allegiance to Absalom, and by 
flattering and deceptive advice to defeat 
the plans of the rebel. Absalom entered 
Jerusalem without opposition, and at Ma- 
hanaim took his stand. In the **wood of 
Ephraim'' the decisive battle took place, 
and from the first part the tide set strongly 
against him. His losses were great, both 
in the engagement and in the retreat 
through the forest. While riding upon his 
mule, his long hair became entangled in 
the fork of a tree and he hung defenseless 
and helpless. A soldier discovered him in 
this situation and reported the case to 
Joab, who, appreciating the situation more 
justly than did David, unhesitatingly 
126 



A HEART-BEOKEN PARENT 

pierced the hapless youth to the heart. He 
then recalled the troops from pursuing the 
vanquished army. The leader gone, the 
insurrection was at an end, and the news 
was carried to David. As he stood in the 
tower above the gates, David saw two mes- 
sengers approaching, each endeavoring to 
outstrip the other in bearing the news of 
Absalom ^s death. When he received the 
news he forgot everything else in his grief 
and exclaimed again and again, *^0 my 
son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! 
would I had died for thee, Absalom, my 
son, my son!" 

It was the cry of a heart-broken parent, 
who had asked so frequently, ^*Is the 
young man safeT' 

David, waiting above the gates for the 
tidings of battle, is one of the most pa- 
thetic pictures in the Old Testament. All 
he could do was to wait. How many par- 
ents there are in the world who wait night 
127 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

after night for the return of their boys, 
and never close their eyes in sleep until 
they know they have returned ! And how 
anxiously some of them wait! 

A man, who at about forty years of age 
became a Christian, was, according to his 
own testimony, for many years a prodigal. 
For &ve years before he left his parents' 
home he had become addicted to the use 
of strong drink. He said during all of 
that time his mother never closed her eyes 
in sleep at night until she knew he had 
returned. When he would pass her door 
she would call out his name, and asked if 
he were all right. Frequently he would 
reply, '^Yes, mother, I 'm all right; don't 
worry about me,'' although he was in a 
state of maudlin intoxication. Because of 
her anxiety for the safety of her boy, sleep 
was banished from her eyes and almost 
caused her mother-heart to break with 
grief. She could do nothing but wait. 
123 



A HEAET-BROKEN PARENT 

David waited to learn if it was well with 
Absalom. Repeatedly he asked, *^Is it 
well with the young man Absalom!" 

Absalom is the representative of that 
class of persons who are wrecked by the 
abuse of their natural gifts and temporal 
advantages. Lord Rosebery said of Na- 
poleon, ^^He raised himself by the use, he 
ruined himself by the abuse of super- 
human faculties." That would be an ap- 
propriate epitaph to be written upon the 
tombstones of more than one wrecked life. 
It might be well said of Aaron Burr, for 
had that richly endowed man used and not 
abused his God-given faculties he would 
have made for himself an untarnished 
name. Had Robert G. Ingersoll devoted 
his wonderful gifts to building men up in 
the most holy faith, rather than in tearing 
down their belief in God, he would not be 
remembered as a defamer. The pathway 
of life is strewn with wrecks of this kind. 
9 129 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

A number of years ago I frequently went 
on Sunday afternoon with a number of 
others to the Kings County Penitentiary 
and Insane Asylum, Long Island, for the 
purpose of holding religious meetings. 
Service was first held in the penitentiary 
and then in the chapel of the asylum for 
the convalescents. Upon the occasion of 
my first visit my attention was called to 
a man of middle life who employed his 
time writing long columns of figures and 
adding them up with the skill of an expert 
accountant. He had once been the cashier 
in a large banking firm and was respected 
by all who knew him. But he took to gam- 
bling in the stock market, and his own 
personal losses became so great that he 
yielded to the temptation of using the 
money of the bank to cover his own in- 
debtedness. His losses only increased. 
Then he became a slave to the office work, 
guarding the accounts with the greatest 
130 



A HEART-BROKEN PARENT 

possible concern. He was the last to leave 
at night and the first to arrive in the morn- 
ing. After a time the suspicions of the 
bank officials were aroused. Investiga- 
tions were instituted, and then followed in 
rapid succession his arrest and conviction. 
Under the strain his brilliant mind went 
to pieces, and in that asylum he was spend- 
ing his days, vainly endeavoring to prove 
his innocence. His mother visited him on 
Sunday afternoons and always sat by his 
side during the service. Every now and 
then he would turn abruptly to her and 
say, ^^ There, I told you it was not my 
fault." 

As I saw the heart-broken mother sitting 
by his side I could think only of Washing- 
ton Irving 's tribute of a mother's love for 
her son : ^ ^ 0, there is an enduring tender- 
ness in the love of a mother to a son that 
transcends all other affections of the heart. 
It is neither to be chilled by selfishness, nor 
131 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

daunted by danger, nor weakened by 
worthlessness, nor stifled by ingratitude. 
She will sacrifice every comfort to bis con- 
venience; she will surrender every pleas- 
ure to his enjoyment ; she will glory in his 
fame and exult in his prosperity; and if 
misfortune overtake him he will be the 
dearer to her from misfortune ; and if dis- 
grace settle upon his name she will still 
love and cherish him, in spite of the dis- 
grace ; and if all the world beside, cast him 
o:ff, she will be all the world to him.'^ 

Poor David ! His love for Absalom was 
as the love of a mother for her son, but 
the storm of grief which engxilfed him in 
its wild swirl produced a scene pitiable 
beyond description. 

From the very first Absalom was not 
safe. He was not safe because he did not 
have as good a start in life as David had. 
This does not excuse Absalom for his sin- 
ful course. He was surrounded by sin and 
132 



A HEAET-BEOKEN PAEENT 

taught crime in his father's harem; that 
was his misfortune. He made it his own; 
that was his crime. But Absalom's start 
in life was very inferior to that of David's. 
The latter came from a good family, or- 
ganized on God's plan. His father chose 
a good mother for him. He was given an 
unusually good training. Absalom was 
brought up in a polygamous family. His 
was a bad heredity. He was hampered 
from the beginning by such conditions. 
David did not provide for his son as Da- 
vid's father had provided for him. 

No man has any right to bring a child 
into this world if he does not intend to give 
to the child the very best surroundings 
possible. Brains and beauty without the 
best moral training may combine to make 
a man a fiend. It is a crime against so- 
ciety to bring life into existence which can 
not be given a full birthright of good blood 
on both sides. 

133 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

- Absalom was not safe because David, 
though a success as a nation-builder, was 
a dismal failure as a father. His failure 
in the home was greater than his success 
as king. Many men are conspicuously suc- 
cessful in the business world who are ter- 
rible failures in the home. Many women 
shine as social lights, who in the home 
fail utterly. This is not as it should be. 
Parents have no right to so identify 
themselves with club life and the social 
world as to neglect the interests of the 
home. 

David brought much of the sorrow of his 
later years upon himself. He sowed the 
wind and reaped the whirlwind. He sowed 
wild oats and in Absalom gathered an 
awful harvest. He had deliberately put 
the cup of sinful pleasure to his lips and 
in the career of Absalom tasted the bitter 
dregs. 

In the utter abandon of his grief his 
134 



A HEART-BEOKEN PARENT 

voice wailed out, ** Would I had died for 
thee.'' 

Far better would it have been if David 
had cried, ^^0 my son Absalom! my son, 
my son Absalom! would I had lived for 
thee, Absalom, my son, my son!'' He 
could have done that, but he did not. 

That man alone is safe who has surren- 
dered his life to Jesus Christ. With the 
indwelling Christ it is possible to live a 
righteous life amidst evil surroundings. 

Mr. Moody once related an incident of 
an aged woman who lay dying. She was 
nearly one hundred years of age, and the 
husband, who had taken the journey with 
her, sat by her side. She was breathing 
faintly, but suddenly revived, opened her 
eyes, and said, ^^Why, it is dark." 

**Yes,'' replied her husband, ^4t is 
dark." 

**Is it nightr' 

*V0, yes; it is midnight." 
135 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

''Are all tlie children in?" 

There was that old mother living life 
over again. Her youngest child had been 
in the grave twenty years, bnt she was 
traveling back into the old days, and she 
fell asleep in Christ, asking, ''Are all the 
children in?" 

The Heavenly Father keeps an open 
door for every prodigal who returns home. 
They only are safe who are in Christ Jesus 
and in whom Christ Jesus dwells. 



136 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CRY 



^^What is man, that Thou art mindful of 

him? 
And the son of man, that Thou visitest 



For Thou hast made him hut little lower 

than God, 
And crownest him with glory and honor. 
Thou malcest him to have dominion over 

the works of Thy hands; 
Thou hast put all things under his feet.'' 

—Psalm 8 : 4-6. 

^'Create in me a clean heart, God; 
And renew a right spirit within me." 

■■ — Psalm 51 : 10. 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CEY 

The first of these passages of Scripture is 
David's vision of man's coronation. The 
second, the sonl's deepest cry. The psalm 
from which the first verses are taken ex- 
presses David's marvel that God should 
have chosen man to be His chief represent- 
ative on earth. Throughout the psalm 
two thoughts stand out like Titans above 
the foothills. One is man's smallness, and 
the other, man's greatness. The infinite 
vastness of the physical universe was over- 
whelming, and in contrast to it man seemed 
a puny creature. As he pondered over 
these things he exclaimed, '*What is man, 
that Thou art mindful of him?" 

The words used for man emphasize his 
weakness, frailty, and mortality in eon- 
139 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

trast to the vast and apparently unchang- 
ing character of the heavens. There is no 
place where the transparent clearness of 
the atmosphere is more suggestive of vast- 
ness and variety than in Eastern lands. 
David had received his education in the 
greatest school in all the world — God's 
great out-of-doors. His knowledge was 
first-hand. He was accustomed to protect 
his flocks from wild beasts, and to close 
them in and lead them in time of storm 
to a place of safety. The towering moun- 
tains were his friends. He knew each peak 
and crag and cleft and valley. As he lay 
on the bare ground, night after night, 
throughout the long summers, gazing into 
the heavens, he thought God's thoughts 
after Him. The spangled heavens were 
His handiwork, and the stars which He 
had ordained were proofs of His glory. 
One needs but to be in some great soli- 
tude, on a mountain or in a storm at sea, 
140 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CEY 

to appreciate a little better the cry of the 
psalmist, '^What is manf 

It was once my privilege to spend a 
night on the Eigi in Switzerland. It was 
the first high mountain npon which I had 
ever stood. Our company retired early, to 
be awakened in the morning by a blast from 
a Switzer's horn. We dressed hurriedly, 
and after a short climb reached the highest 
point of the mountain and awaited the 
dawn of day. Of a sudden the darkness 
disappeared, and in its stead the mys- 
terious gray of early dawn. It was 
some time before the disk of the sun was 
visible, and upon the suggestion of the 
guide we turned our backs to the East to 
watch for the first rays of golden light to 
crown the summits of the higher peaks. 
In a few minutes a score of mountain 
peaks flamed like huge altar piles in the 
morning sun. Owing to its isolation, the 
Eigi commands a view three hundred 
141 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

miles in circumference, including one hun- 
dred and twenty-five miles of snow-capped 
mountains, which are unsurpassed for 
beauty in Switzerland. The grandeur of 
the scene silenced me, and in my heart I 
cried, *^What is man, that Thou art mind- 
ful of himr' 

A few years ago I was returning to 
America from Europe on one of the larg- 
est and fastest steamers of the North Ger- 
man Lloyd line. The trip was uneventful 
until we were some five hundred miles 
southwest of the banks of Newfoundland. 
A northeast wind came up, and little by 
little the waves increased, and after a few 
hours were dashing high. For twenty-five 
hours the wind did not abate, and the 
angry waves beat furiously against the 
ship, tossing man^s great invention like a 
piece of driftwood. The captain did not 
retire that night, and the ship 's crew were 
at their various posts of duty. The equip- 
11-2 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CRY 

ments of the life-boats were carefully ex- 
amined, and many of the passengers were 
justly concerned for their own safety. It 
was not until the following day that the 
wind subsided, and when the observations 
were taken, the fact was disclosed that in 
the storm the ship had been driven nearly 
one hundred miles out of her course. 
Since this and other similar experiences I 
have more fully appreciated the meaning 
of the question, ^^What is man, that Thou 
art mindful of himT' 

But David does not stop here. To raise 
the question and not to answer it would 
have been the equivalent of writing the 
word ^^ despair'' in bold letters. The cen- 
tral thought is not nature, but man. Al- 
though nature reflects most wonderfully 
the glory of God, man does so, even more 
wonderfully. He is more mysterious and 
wonderful than the physical universe, for 
by nature he is little lower than the angels, 
143 



THE SHEPHEED KING 

or as the Eevised Version states it, than 
God Himself. 

But man, by his sin, fell from this high 
and exalted place, and was no more worthy 
of His love and care. Bearing this fact in 
mind, David wondered all the more that 
despite hnman weakness, ignorance, and 
sin the Great and Holy God should mani- 
fest so profound an interest in our race! 
That we should be constantly the recipi- 
ents of divine solicitude and care! That 
God should be interested in the individual 
history of every human soul! 

Such a conception of man's relation to 
God is contrary to much of current mod- 
ern thought. Men are giving so much 
thought to the study of the laws of na- 
ture that they lose sight of the fact that 
nature's laws are merely modes of action 
by and through which God cares for His 
creatures. There is a grave danger that 
we may lose the idea of God's free and 
144 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CRY 

personal love for every human soul. Many 
are blinded and confused by terms, and in 
a hopeless sort of manner resign them- 
selves to the thought that they are the vic- 
tims of a tremendous system of material 
forces which work on relentlessly age after 
age. 

The sacred Jewish writers enter a uni- 
versal and decided protest against the 
thought that man is merely a feeder for 
a big machine in which there is no room 
for divine interference to relieve his sor- 
rows, strengthen his weakness, and guide 
his conduct. 

David believed that God loved him and 
was personally interested in Ms career. 
How else can we explain such words as 
* * The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not 
want. He maketh me to lie down in green 
pastures; He leadeth me beside the still 
waters. . . . Yea, though I walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death, I will 
10 145 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy 
rod and Thy staff they comfort me/' 

*^In the time of trouble he shall hide me 
in His pavilion." ^^He bindeth up the 
broken in heart." *^He is the husband of 
the widow, and the Father of the father- 
less." ''The steps of a good man are or- 
dered of the Lord." ''Like as a Father 
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth 
them that fear Him," 

David furthermore sees that divine in- 
terest in human affairs is not all. He looks 
away from the fall with its heritage of 
sin and suffering and sorrow, beyond 
God's interest in the individual history of 
every soul, to man's destiny in the orig- 
inal plan and purpose of God, to the coro- 
nation of manhood. 

' ' Thou madest him but little lower than 
the angels. Thou crownest him with glory 
and honor; and didst set him over the 
146 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CRY 

works of Thine hands. Thou hast put all 
things in subjection under his feet." 

Where was such manhood to be found? 

Surely not in David nor in David's day. 
The fifth and sixth verses do not refer 
to the psalmist, great as his power and 
dominion were. He was full of mistakes. 
Sin found entrance into his heart. 

He could not find the ideal of his vision 
among the idolatrous people who were not 
far from him and by whom he was fre- 
quently surrounded. 

Where should we look for the ideal of 
this manhood? To ourselves? Alas! what 
poor specimens we find. All too infre- 
quently are we conscious of communion 
with the Father. Have all things been 
placed beneath our feet? 

There is much that man has accom- 
plished, although it required thousands of 
years for him to discover the most rudi- 
147 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

mentary laws. He has harnessed the light- 
ning and bidden it render him service. 
He has invented machinery that seems al- 
most to breathe with life and that per- 
fectly obeys his will. He has tamed the 
beasts of the field and forest, and he has 
scaled and tunneled mountains. He can 
do all this and more, and yet falls far short 
of David's ideal of manhood. 

"With all man's power and inventive ge- 
nins he can not command the winds and 
the waves to be still and have them obey 
him. The loaves and fishes do not multi- 
ply at his commands. He spends his years 
in subduing the works of God's hands, and 
then trembles at the things he possesses 
for fear of losing them. In possessing 
gold he finds that gold possesses him. In- 
stead of lord, he is servant. Man's do- 
minion is superficial and imperfect. 

The psalm becomes a prophecy. David 
148 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST GEY 

believed that God's purposes can not be 
frustrated by man's sin. 

Where can we look for the fulfilment 
of David's vision of man's coronation? 

Shall we search for it among the bi- 
ographies of the saints? But the life 
stories of the most saintly persons that 
ever lived are replete with accounts of hu- 
man incompleteness. 

If we look for it among the world's great 
rulers we turn away disappointed, for 
their lives seem to be largely taken up with 
war and wrong and crime. 

If we look for it among ourselves, we 
discover how far short we all come of it. 

The fulfilment of this psalm is to he 
found in the Incarnation, and nowhere else. 

St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Cor- 
inthians, 15 : 27, 28— 

' ^ For He put all things in subjection un- 
der His feet. But when He saith, All 
149 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

things are put in subjection, it is evident 
that He is excepted who did subject all 
things unto Him. 

**And when all things have been sub- 
jected to Him, then shall the Son also Him- 
self be subjected to Him that did subject 
all things unto Him, that God may be all 
in alP'-. 

warrants the making of such a statement. 
So also does the writer of the Epistle to 
the Hebrews, for he quotes these very 
verses of David, and adds : 

*'For in that He subjected all things 
unto Him, He left nothing that is not sub- 
ject to Him. But now we see not yet all 
things subjected to Him. 

' * But we behold him who hath been made 
a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, 
because of the suffering of death, crowned 
with glory and honor, that by the grace 
of God He should taste of death for every 



150 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST GEY 

Jesus is the Race Man. In the first 
Adam, man failed through sin. In the sec- 
ond Adam, Jesus Christ, who triumphs 
through obedience, the destiny of the race 
is fulfiled. 

In Christ the ** glory and the honor'' 
spoken of by the psalmist is fulfiled in a 
far higher degree than ever he imagined 
possible. The sovereignty of Christ is ab- 
solute and universal. * ' The government is 
upon His shoulders." He holds the keys 
of death and the grave. In His lowliness 
angels ministered to Him, and strength- 
ened Him in the time of His agony. When 
He ascended to the skies He was accom- 
panied by a multitude of the heavenly 
hosts. 

David aspired to the possession of this 
perfect manhood. His soul's deepest cry 
was, '* Create in me a clean heart." He 
did not ask for a restoration of what was 
there before, but for that radical change 
151 



THE SHEPHERD KING 

which would surely result when the heart 
was made pure. In no other way can this 
ideal be attained. It is possible to all and 
the privilege of all in Christ Jesus. 

Phillips Brooks was once approached 
by a poor woman who earned her living 
scrubbing the floors of the great cathedral 
of which he was the rector. She wanted 
him to marry her daughter, and asked if 
he would object to doing so in the small 
chapel. 

' * Why not have her married here % ' ' He 
referred to the great church. *^Why,'' 
said the poor woman in astonishment, ^'I 
did not think it was for the likes o' me." 

^^Yes," replied Mr. Brooks, ^4t is for 
the likes of you, for the likes of me, and 
for the likes of every one." 

So with perfect manhood in Christ 

Jesus. If the souPs deepest cry be for 

a pure heart, we shall one day attain ^ ^ unto 

a full-grown man, unto the measure of the 

152 



THE SOUL'S DEEPEST CEY 

stature of the fulness of Christ," and re- 
joice forever and forever in the fulfihnent 
of the pledge *Hhat the Divine counsel of 
love will not fail/' 



153 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: May 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
(724) 779-21 1 1 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 
AUG II )9II 



